Teens aware of marijuana harm and impact on mental health
According to a BBC article, a survey of of 27,000 teenagers found that “nearly one in two teenagers knows someone who has suffered from a mental health problem like paranoia after using cannabis.”
The research, which was carried out on networking website Habbo Hotel, found 64% of young people were aware cannabis could cause panic attacks, 41% knew it could bring on paranoia and 38% thought it could result in memory loss.
Over 50% of teenagers associated cannabis use with losing motivation and doing badly at school or college.
While the survey is far from scientific - it does point to some interesting trends among teens and their perception of marijuana use and how it affects mental health.
Recent research suggests that heavy use of cannabis may increase the risk of psychosis in some young people
The website Psychosis Sucks maintains that:
Psychosis can be induced by drugs or can be “drug assisted”. Some stimulating drugs, like amphetamines, can cause psychosis, while other drugs, including marijuana, can trigger the onset of psychosis in someone who is already at increased risk because they have “vulnerability”.
The risks associated with drug use for a person with psychosis include an increased risk of relapse, the development of more secondary problems (including depression, anxiety or memory problems), a slower recovery and more persistent psychotic symptoms.
The good news is that with early identification, treatment and support, people living with psychosis, substance abuse or a combination of these mental health problems can recover.
Because people with psychosis may have interlinked problems with substance use problems, treatment that combines both mental health and addiction services into one program is best.
ALSO - integrating treatment for psychosis and substance abuse into one program is an effective way
to help both problems at the same time.
Treatment programs include:
- Improving quality of life including belief in the possibility of recovery.
- Going beyond just eliminating symptoms of psychosis and substance use and emphasizing social and other supports.
- Motivation support to help you set and accomplish your goals.
- Taking medications as prescribed
For more info check out:
Psychosis and Substance Abuse Brochure for Youth (pdf)
Psychosis Sucks - Substance Abuse and Psychosis
Schizophrenia: A Journey to Recovery - A Consumer and Family Guide to Assessment and Treatment (pdf)
Rays of Hope - A reference manual for Families & Caregivers (pdf)
Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program Resources
Tags: Psychosis, Substance Abuse
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:15 am
In our society joots/marijuana is already rampant in most community. It looks like a normal cigars for others and even can’t imagine the age gap of using marijuana it gets younger and younger most especially teens. It is like a candy that you can buy on the street.
May 15th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
This looks like a British blog. Hard to tell. But you need to understand how damaging drug prohibition has been in the United States. Now we have violent drug gangs numbering in the millions. Millions more are incarcerated for possession of a plant that has never been shown to cause a single death.
Meanwhile, alcohol and opiates– both incredibly harmful substances– are deemed perfectly fine by society. One you can buy at the store if you’re old enough. The other, in the form of pain pills, are prescribed in huge amounts by doctors even though they are addictive and so poisonous that they kill 40,000 people a year in Russia alone– not sure of the statistic for the United States.
The only sensible answer to the “Drug Problem” is legalization along with education. Negative side effects or not, it makes no sense to keep marijuana illegal when other, far more detrimental, substances are widely available. Here in the US it appears that we’re slowly backing down from decades of draconian legal craziness. Let’s hope this trend continues.
July 7th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
My 17 year old son became psychotic and is currently hospitalized. He was using Marijuana and K2.I am so scared..